Digital BW, The Print

For those who do not have ImagePrint, I have--through a little trial 
and error--come up with a method that gives me a nice, warm, sepia 
toned print on Photo Rag using UltraChrome (with the Photo Black). 
The result is pleasing to me, and I think is a good solution for 
those unable or unwilling to spend major bucks on ImagePrint. (By the 
way, I do use ImagePrint myself.)

This method uses the standard Epson 7600/9600 driver along with Bill 
Atkinson's profiles, which, as most of you are aware, can be 
downloaded for free from either Bill's website or the Epson site.

On this particular method, the following Bill Atkinson profile is 
used: 9600 SmFineArt SFA1 Std. v2.ICC.

Here are the steps: If your image is in grayscale, convert it to RGB, 
8-bit, and create a Curves adjustment layer. When you create an 
adjustment curve on an RGB file, you have four possible curves 
available: RGB, R-channel, G-channel, B-channel. Make the following 
changes to the curve: RGB: no change; R channel: input=119, 
output=128; G-channel: no change; B channel: input=128, output=119. 
(You can, of course, increase or decrease the intensity of the sepia 
tone by moving these numbers around; small numerical changes result 
in fairly substantial changes in tone. Experiment!)

Print the image using the Atkinson profile. It is very important to 
make all the driver settings exactly as suggested by BA for this 
particular profile.

Once again, this method gives me a sepia tone print that I am happy 
with. I have used it on different type photographs from landscape to 
studio portraiture, and it gives a pretty neutral sepia tone without 
metamerism. Give it a try and experiment around with different 
settings on the curve.

This is for Hahnemuhle Photo Rag paper. On other papers, such as EEM, 
the results are VERY different. A different curve would be necessary. 
My paper of choice is Photo Rag, and that is what this curve is for.

One final note: For those who have never attempted to create their 
own profiles, the process requires a tremendous amount of time and 
work. That Bill Atkinson makes these profiles available for free is 
an act of supreme generostiy on his part. In the past, I have paid as 
much as $200 for just one profile that is not as good as those BA 
provides for free. Just one person's appreciation.